McCarthy offers key compromise in exchange for support on House speaker bid: Report
by Cami Mondeaux, Breaking News Reporter |
December 30, 2022 08:25 AM
As House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy continues to fight off intraparty opposition to his speakership bid, the California Republican is reportedly offering key compromises to GOP lawmakers in exchange for their support.
In a series of private meetings this week, McCarthy pledged to a number of Republicans that he would reduce the required number of votes to call a floor vote to oust a sitting House speaker in an effort to win their support, according to CNN. The latest compromise comes as McCarthy seeks to win over critics while maintaining support he has already garnered from elsewhere in the party.
Under current House rules, a majority of lawmakers in the majority party must call for a floor vote to vacate the speaker’s chair. However, McCarthy is offering to lower that threshold significantly, giving critics a way to oust him from the leadership position if they disapprove of his performance, according to CNN.
McCarthy hasn’t settled on a final number he would change the threshold to be, but it could be as small as five lawmakers, sources told the outlet.
The revelations come just days before the House is set to elect its new speaker, a position that McCarthy has already positioned himself to take despite facing renewed opposition in recent weeks.
To secure the gavel, McCarthy needs a majority of voting members — in this case, 218 lawmakers — to vote for him when his nomination goes before the entire House floor on Tuesday. At least five GOP lawmakers have publicly said they won’t back his speakership bid, and McCarthy can’t afford to lose more than four — possibly putting his nomination in peril.
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https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/mccarthy-offers-compromise-in-exchange-for-house-speaker
